Trump Packs EPA with chemical alumni, of the oil industry

A significant number of political nominees that have joined the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Trump used to work or have taken prisoners on behalf of the chemical industries and fossil fuels.

The appointments occur, as the administration has made seemingly competitive promises on the regulations of reduction aggressively, while “re -making America again healthy.”

Among the agency figures are Nancy Beck, who worked at the American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry and lobbying group, before serving in the EPA during Trump’s first term. Beck has faced the controversy over his chemical security manipulation during his pre -administration term.

It also joins the Lynn Dekleva administration, who spent more than 30 years in Chemical Giant Dupont, according to his Linkedin page. Dupont is known for, among other things, their relationship with“Forever Chemicals”,A toxic family of chemicals also known as PFA that have been linked to various cancers and other health problems and are theSubject of EPA regulationsLike many toxic substances.

Dupont’s Legacy Parent – EI du Pont de Nemours – and his spinoff Chemours have made many types of PFA. The companiesresolved a demandOf the water utilities affected by the chemicals last year. Other legal procedures are still in progress.

Among the additional appointments are Chad Mcintosh, a former Ford executive, and Alexander Dominguez, who worked for the American Petroleum Institute, an important group of oil and gas lobbying. Dominguez has also taken care of the companies and groups of the biofuels, plastics and oil industries.

Steven Cook, who was a lawyer for Chemical and Oil Refining Lyondellbasell, will also join the EPA again. Like Beck, Dekleva, Mcintosh, Dominguez and Cook also held the EPA’s posts at Trump’s first administration.

The EPA did not answer the hill questions about the appointments directly or if officials with the links of the industry would work on issues affecting their former businessmen or clients.

Instead, spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou filed a written statement saying “EPA is gathering a leadership team made up of some of the brightest experts and legal minds in their fields, all of whom will defend the mission of the EPA of EPA Protect human health and the environment. “

“During President Trump’s first term, the combined emissions of polluting criteria and his precursors fell by 7 percent and the North -American village saw a significant improvement in air quality. In addition, EPA Trump cleaned more toxic places than his predecessor, suppressing 82 sites in the superfund national priority list, “he said.

The pollutant criteria refer to a set of six types of air pollution usually: smog, soot, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Beck is among the most controversial options to join the administration. Previously, he acted as vice -adjunta and then attached attached attached to the EPA pollution and prevention of pollution in Trump’s first term. Later he served at the Management and Budget Office of the White House.The associated pressHe reported at that time that he was involved in the direction of the control and prevention centers of diseases related to reopening during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The president named her in 2020 to lead the consumer product security commission, but this push was downloaded whenEven some republican senators raised concernsAbout your registration on chemical safety.

Maria Doa, an ex -EPA official who worked on chemical issues at the agency for several decades, including during the first Trump administration, told The Hill that Beck tried to weaken the science that surrounded toxic chemicals. .

“When I was in the EPA dealing with Nancy Beck, I prompted his efforts to … MINAR science, to change scientific determinations so that chemicals were not regulated,” said Doa, who now, now He is the main director of the chemical policy at the Environmental Defense Fund.

He especially said that Beck again pushed efforts to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals.

“She would reduce the risktricloroetylenewhich causes three types of cancer, multiple effects on the body, the toxicity of development, “said Doa on Beck.

Doa also explained a meeting in which he said to Beck did not seeRemove Methylena’s Pintur ChlorideThey had probably been outsourced.

“She said,” Well, what is it, like 1 percent? What is the problem? … it is simply shocking, because their parents lost their children and their children lost a father or mother, so there were several deaths, “recalled Doa.

The EPA did not provide any comment on the particularities of Doa’s statements. Instead, a spokesman reiterated the same statement provided by Vaseliou.

Other Trump named in the agency also held pressure positions.

Aaron Szabo Official put pressure on behalf of the industry sterilization on issues related to its use of toxic chemicalEthylene’s oxideand Dupont Chemours’s successor on chemicals related to forever.

Szabo also put pressure on the American Chemistry Council, several oil companies and pipes and electrical services Duke, Exelon and Nextera.

Jessica Kramer pressure on behalf of various water service commercial organizations, as well as Duke Energy, Talos Energy and LG Chem.

Justin Schwab hasprovided legal servicesto Utity Southern Co.

Kramer and Schwab also served the agency during Trump’s first term, while Szabo worked in the White House.

News e & eFirst reportMay these officials reinstate the administration. The hill has verified through the employee database of the agency working in the EPA.

Matthew Tejada, a former career official who worked at the Office of Environmental Justice and external civil rights, said that the participation of officials with links to the industry is not unique in Trump administrations.

“It is a type of rhythm of our government that many of us have become accustomed Council of Defense of Natural Resources.

He said it is unclear if any given person will necessarily feel their previous entrepreneurs.

“These are these people who may have differences in philosophy with us, but we can try to find common areas of land where we can positively advance environmental health protections … or are these people who are only inclined to eliminate any resistance from the executive branch of The Government in the whims of our President? “He said. “This is what we need to value right now.”

Trump has pledged to retreat environmental regulations and to strengthen the oil and gas industry while in charge andmade some moves to doon their initial board of executive actions.

But while Trump and his team have supported these deployments and named civil servants who worked in the chemical and fossil fuel industries in the EPA, they also repeatedly said that it supports clean air and clean water. Trump has also adopted the “Make America Health Again” agenda by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy, the Trump selection to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has expressed interest in eliminating toxic chemicals from the environment and limiting corporate influence on federal government.

Although he seems to be close to President Trump, Kennedy will have no direct say about EPA’s actions if he is confirmed as HHS secretary.

However, Doa sees a “hypocrisy” in the administration who wants to wish a healthier America as he puts people affiliated with the industry in the best EPA positions.

“There is a hypocrisy there if you put people to approve the chemicals to go to the market that are risky … or that they go, when they evaluate the chemicals that have been in the market for a long time, their damages decrease, Their risks, it does not regulate them, “he said.

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